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| Ralph |
Pyrenees bark. If you’ve adopted from our rescue, it’s one of the traits we talk about in our adoption process. They are bred to guard, and take their job seriously. In fact, we frequently get Pyrenees surrendered into rescue for problem barking. It isn’t a lost cause, however, and with management and consistency it can be lessened, if not cured. This is a behavior that requires a fair amount of effort on the human end of the leash! You are trying to change a behavior that is enjoyable and likely habitual for our dogs. As a human example, if you want me to change my morning coffee habit, which is both enjoyable and habitual, you would have to help me manage my behavior (take the coffee out of my house), give me an alternative (tea or a smoothie in the morning), and reward me for better decisions (set the money I save aside for a reward). It works the same way with our dogs.
Dogs bark for four main reasons. Start by deciding why your dog is
barking and work from there. Remember that barking is a natural tendency for
our dogs and we are working to help them modify a normal dog behavior. It is also a behavior that is very satisfying
for our dogs which makes it more difficult to change.
● Watchdog
Barking - to alert that there
is an intruder/change in the environment, and to let the intruder know they’ve
been seen. Many people appreciate this alert barking from their dog, on a small
scale. I want my dog to bark when someone approaches my door, but I don’t want
her to bark every time someone walks by on the sidewalk. To address this, we
want to be sure our dogs aren’t spending their time practicing the behavior
when you’re not there to work on the training.
○ Start with management. Try modifying the
environment to help your dog be more successful. Don’t give them access to the
window, yard, or area where they are watching, unless you are there to help
monitor and train. Keep the curtains closed, or the dog crated/gated in a
different room when you’re gone. Don’t
give them free access to the yard when you’re not home. In my house this meant
moving the couch away from the front window so it didn’t become a perch from
which to guard the neighborhood. If your dog gets to spend all day practicing
barking, it’s not fair to be frustrated with them when you are home.
○ teach a quiet cue. Say “quiet” or “that’s
enough” once. If they stop immediately, reward them with a treat. If they
continue barking, remove them from the situation for a quick time-out. (30
seconds to a minute) You will need to be really consistent. Don’t tell them the
cue if you aren’t present to follow through. It’s not effective to yell “quiet” from the porch while they’re barking
in the yard, if you aren’t going to go and get them.
● Request
Barking - seeking attention,
food, to be let outside, let out of the crate…
○ Ignore the barking and reward only when quiet.
The rewards would initially have to come quickly when there’s a pause and build
up to a longer quiet time.
○ Be prepared for an increase in barking
initially (the extinction burst) because the dog is going to be frustrated that
the request isn’t working anymore.
○ Make sure to praise and pay attention to the
dog when he’s quiet and doing what you want, not just when he’s barking for
attention.
● Spooky
Barking - the dog is afraid
or uncomfortable.
○ Slowly help the dog overcome his fear by
helping him to associate treats/rewards with the presence of the scary noise or
object. (Every time the garbage truck
shows up, treats fall from the sky).
○ Try to avoid exposing the dog to the thing
that is scaring him, unless you can work with him. The more he practices the
barking behavior the worse it will get because he’s learned that the barking
makes the feared thing go away, which is what he wants.
○ This can be best prevented with a lot of
socialization and exposure as a puppy. It’s more challenging to manage once the
fear is established.
● Boredom
Barking - barking excessively
because they haven’t had their physical, social, mental needs met. This is
probably some of the most common barking behavior we see.
○ Increase physical exercise. Most dogs need two
rounds of tongue hanging out level of exercise a day. A game of tug can be more
tiring than a 3 mile walk!
○ If
they’re getting enough physical exercise, try increasing their mental
exercise. Have the dog work for their
food using puzzle toys, learn tricks together, try a new training activity
(manners, nose work)
○ The dog might benefit from some play dates to burn
off energy and increase social time. If the dog is being kept outside entirely
or alone for long periods of time a dog walker or trip to daycare might help.
Another
common barking behavior happens between dogs at a fence. This is frequently
called barrier frustration. It might be frustration over being unable to get to
the the other dog to play and be social, or to keep the other dog away from
their territory. Either way, similar to watchdog barking, start with
management. Don’t let your dog out at times you know the other dog is there. If
you are going to have your dog in the yard, make sure you are with them to
supervise. Have them drag a leash so they are more easily redirected. Consider
planting a hedge against the fence as an additional barrier. For training, as
soon as they notice the other dog, before there is a reaction, reward your dog
for quiet behavior. If they head straight for the fence to start barking,
immediately bring them inside for a short time out and start again. Try
training a “leave it” cue, or train them to do something else when they get
excited by the other dog - get a toy, run inside. It all comes with lots of
rewards for appropriate behavior.
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| Natalie and Grace |
One final note on barking and bark collars which are frequently sold in pet stores as a quick fix to the behavior. Pyrenees are known to bark even with a bark collar on, sometime to the point of injury. Please find alternate ways to manage and train. If the barking is excessive, seek the help of a certified trainer to make everyone’s environment more enjoyable.
Natalie Wolf
Certified Professional Dog Trainer
Below are some videos of Pyrs barking if you would like to see different barking"styles".
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